


The Dancing Fairy

by deadgranger



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bisexual Character, Community: HPFT, F/F, Feminism, Fluff, LGBTQ Themes, Lesbian Character, Romance, careers, night club
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-04 09:16:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20468630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deadgranger/pseuds/deadgranger
Summary: Katie Bell doesn't expect her Saturday night out to change from the way it's gone the last five weeks.Alicia Spinnet is willing to bet she can change that.*Written for grumpy cat's The Pick Up Line Challenge*





	The Dancing Fairy

The heavy bass of the wrock playing over the club’s speaker system was pounding so loudly in Katie’s chest she could barely hear her own thoughts. She sipped her Dragon Scale, grimacing as she noted it had started to turn to lager already. Perched on a stool at the bar, she cast her eyes around the dim interior of The Dancing Fairy. She sighed at herself for being here, alone, for the sixth weekend in a row.  _ Honestly, was it that hard to find someone to go on a bloody date with these days? Am I just that unattractive to people? _ Katie thought. It’s been ten bloody years since the end of the War, and she was ready to find someone now that all the  _ Daily Prophet _ seemed to be writing about these days was the new children the Golden Trio seemed to keep producing. 

Taking another look around, she quickly averted her gaze from a tall, dark-haired man staring at her from a table across the room. She frowned, uncomfortable with the rather predatory expression on his face. Her eyes flitted over the gyrating bodies on the dancefloor, attempting to ignore the more sensual acts happening under the pulsing multicolor lights. A Weird Sisters song came on, and the crowd erupted into cheers. Katie couldn’t help tapping her foot to the beat on the footrest of the barstool she was on, but was still disappointed in not having found anyone to dance with yet tonight. 

She downed the rest of her drink and was about to order another one when a woman in an indigo crushed velvet dress sidled up and wedged herself in the space between Katie and the person next to her. 

“Did you survive the Avada Kedavra curse? Because you’re drop dead gorgeous,” the woman tapped her on the shoulder, nearly making Katie choke on the remnants of her drink. 

Turning to face the woman, a sharp retort on her lips, Katie instead did a double take. “Alicia Spinnet, is that you?” 

Alicia did her own double take. “Oh my god, Katie Bell, I didn’t even realize it was you! Apologies for that horrible pick-up line, I should probably stop using that one.” 

“It’s fine, sometimes you just gotta reference the Boy Who Lived in your shitty pick-up lines just to up your chances at them actually working,” Katie laughed. 

The two women embraced. The person on the stool next to Katie left, so Alicia took the newly open seat. “Two shots of firewhiskey and then two butterbeers, please,” Alicia handed over her sickles to the bartender. 

Katie raised a brow. “Shots and butterbeer? Are you trying to win a favor from me, Spinnet?” 

Alicia grinned and merely held up her firewhiskey shot. “No, these are just shots to have shots.” 

Katie grinned back at her. They clinked their glasses together and downed the firewhiskey, both grimacing as it burned their throats. When they got their breath back, Katie appraised Alicia through her lashes as she sipped her pint of butterbeer. 

“So what have you been up to these days? I haven’t seen an article from you in  _ The Daily Prophet _ for a while,” Katie asked. 

“Oh I quit that job about two years ago. I got tired of the barely-masked homophobia from my boss and the ridiculous editing down of my columns, regardless of the content. I did some freelance work for a good part of last year, but now I’m working at  _ Which Broomstick _ and trying to expand their content to appeal to a wider audience,” Alicia answered. “It’s honestly the most rewarding journalism work I’ve done in eight years, and I enjoy the challenge of trying to find the kind of content my editor is looking for.”

Katie sipped her butterbeer. “That’s great, Alicia! I wish there were better daily papers than the  _ Prophet _ , even though it’s gotten better since our time at Hogwarts with reporting the actual news.” 

Alicia swallowed her drink and gave a nod in agreement. “Exactly! I think one day I’d like to open up my own daily newspaper that reported the news from around the wider wizarding world that doesn’t rely on bribes and skeezy sources and journalists like the  _ Prophet _ still does.” 

“Well, if you ever need a source in the Department of Magical Sports and Games, just send me an owl,” Katie smiled. 

“I didn’t know you worked there! How long have you been working there for?” 

“About four years, ever since I left the Appleby Arrows. I’m currently leading the committee on organizing the Quidditch World Cup in eighteen months.” 

“That’s exciting, congratulations, Katie!” 

They tapped their pints together and each took deep drinks of their butterbeers. 

As Katie swallowed her drink, she chanced a glance at Alicia through her lashes, and caught the other woman doing the same. 

She cleared her throat and said, “So earlier, did I hear you correctly when you mentioned something about homophobia from your boss?” 

Alicia nodded, tucking a loose section of hair behind her ear. “Yeah, I mean, it was common knowledge when I was on the Holyhead Harpies with everyone there. I guess my arse of a boss just didn’t care about employee morale or general feelings of being safe at work. I even filed a complaint with HR but they didn’t do anything about it besides reprimand him, so I left.” 

“I’m sorry you had to deal with such a shitty boss, Alicia,” Katie said, touching her hand in comfort. “Not feeling safe in your workplace is the worst thing in the world. I wish wizarding discrimination laws would catch up with the muggle ones.” 

“Agreed,” Alicia replied. “So how’s working for the Ministry then?” 

“Oh, I love it! Even though I’ve only been there a few years, my boss immediately put my name forward to be a large part of the Quidditch World Cup Organizing Committee, nearly equal to her status! I think my boss just likes me a lot as we’re really the only two women in positions with some power in our part of the Department right now,” Katie paused, as Alicia raised an elegant eyebrow. “But it could also be that we both commiserate about being still single even though we’re both bisexual and have the whole world to choose from. I think part of it is just people are afraid of how much power we wield regarding their favorite wizarding game, though she thinks it’s because no one can stand up to our levels of badassery.” 

Alicia smiled at that statement. “Well hey, I’m not afraid of you or your badassery when it comes to Quidditch, Bell. Remember all those times I out-flew you in the Chaser drills your fifth year?” 

Katie bumped Alicia’s shoulder with her own. “Hey, that’s no fair, you knew I was recovering from an injury so of course you’re supposed to be the best Chaser on the team after Angelina! Just because you didn’t like it when I scored more goals than you that one match against Hufflepuff doesn’t mean you still have to rub salt in an old wound,” she joked. 

“We had our fair share of rematches during our time in the pros anyway,” Alicia grinned. 

The music turned to a Hobgoblins song, and a spark appeared in Alicia’s eye. Chugging the last of her butterbeer, she set her empty glass on the bartop with some force and grabbed Katie’s hand. 

“Dance with me!” she exclaimed, an order more than a request. 

Katie finished off her butterbeer as well and allowed Alicia to pull her to the dance floor and into the mass of jumping, gyrating bodies. 

Her vision blurred from the flashing lights and so many moving bodies until Alicia reappeared in front of her, something unreadable in her eyes. Alicia grabbed her hands again, placing them on her shoulders as she settled hers on Katie’s waist. The music faded into a low, throbbing pulsing in Katie’s ears. Her focus was entirely on feeling the warmth of Alicia’s hands on her waist, the thinness of the fabric as it moved against her skin, and the emotions bubbling in the pit of her stomach. She stared into Alicia’s dark eyes, seeing her own face reflected back at her, and couldn’t help but smile broadly. 

The two of them stayed on the dance floor for what felt like forever, but was in reality only another forty minutes, as some idiot had tripped and spilled all of his drink down the Alicia’s back. 

“Bugger, this was a really expensive dress too!” Alicia complained as Katie grabbed some napkins from the bar and began dabbing furiously at the dress, trying to soak up as much of the alcohol as she could. 

“Do you want me to use Tergeo?” Katie asked, throwing the sopping wet napkins into a nearby rubbish bin. 

“Yeah, all right, I suppose you’ll have to. Let’s go to the bathroom though so we don’t get a nasty look from the bartender for using magic in the club,” Alicia said. 

They quickly weaved their way through the crowd to the women’s bathroom, thankful there wasn’t a line for once. Alicia placed herself in front of the mirror and stood still, patiently waiting for Katie to dig out her wand from her purse. 

“All right, this might tickle, Alicia,” she said, pointing her wand at Alicia’s back. 

Alicia nodded and caught Katie’s gaze in the mirror. 

“Tergeo,” Katie said, waving her wand.

The dress pulled away from Alicia’s body as the alcohol soaking into it was siphoned into Katie’s wand until the crushed velvet fabric was dry. Stowing her wand back in her purse, Katie pulled her hair back from her face, the sweat from dancing making some strands stick to her face. Alicia patted the back of her dress and thanked Katie for casting the spell for her. As a witch entered the bathroom, a wall of noise greeted them as the classic “Do the Hippogriff” from The Weird Sisters started playing, and a manic grin broke out on Alicia’s face. 

“Come on, one more dance with me, Katie Bell!” 

“One more,” Katie acquiesced, unable to resist the pull of Alicia’s smile. 

One song turned into two turned into six, and before Katie knew it, it was almost bar close and she was wrapped under Alicia’s arm as they left the club. She shivered as they entered the cool night air. She paused her steps, indecision rooting her to the spot. Alicia released her hold on her and gave her an inscrutable look. 

“What is it, Katie?” 

“Oh, er, well I guess I didn’t know what you, er, wanted to do now?” she said. 

Alicia shrugged noncommittally. “Well, we could go to this twenty-four hour cafe I love, or we could go back to my place or your place, or we can both go home separately.” 

Katie frowned. 

“Or, I can first ask you if my shitty pick-up line actually worked and then ask if you’d like to come home with me.” 

Katie’s heart thumped in her chest, and a blush colored her cheeks. “I’d say yes to both of those things.” 

Alicia smiled and grabbed Katie’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “Merlin’s beard, did it really?” 

Katie grinned and nodded her head, squeezing Alicia’s hand back. “You know me too well, Spinnet, even after not seeing each other regularly for a few years.” 

“Well I’m going to ignore that and pretend like my pick-up line is the single thing that sold you,” Alicia laughed. “Come on, we’re going to stop by the bakery first because I’m craving their chocolate croissants!” 

Alicia pulled on Katie’s hand, and they walked off down the streets of London, hands firmly clasped together and smiles ever present. 


End file.
